


Friends

by V (deepsix)



Category: The OC
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-01-10
Updated: 2004-01-10
Packaged: 2017-10-04 23:31:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deepsix/pseuds/V
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"This sucks, dude. Ryan. This really sucks." Set after 1.13, "The Best Chrismukkah Ever".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friends

When the Summer and Anna thing ended, Ryan had expected there to be more. More dramatics, or something. Anything. But it was quiet, except for the ringing repetition of the words, "I don't want to be friends."

Ryan knew how much that one stung.

But Seth took it well, or seemed to, because he didn't talk about it for at least three days after the fact. It was the longest Seth had stayed quiet on any given subject, and Ryan guessed that might be a good thing.

Maybe.

It was on the fourth day that he said, "I can't believe how bad I screwed that one up." He was lying sideways on Ryan's bed, kicking at the box springs and staring at the ceiling. He couldn't have seen the look Ryan gave him, but he still added, "Even for me, I mean. That was bad even for me. Wasn't it?"

"Sure," Ryan said. He wasn't sure what else to say.

"You'd think I'd just be able to choose," said Seth. "But it's like, you gotta choose between these two great, like, _excellent_ things, and your brain just freezes and you can't. This sucks." Seth sat up a little, so he was supporting himself on his elbows. He looked at Ryan, where he was sitting on the floor. "This sucks, dude. Ryan. This really sucks."

"I know," Ryan said. "But you could have just, you know." He didn't know, but he hoped Seth did. He thought it was just so typical, that Seth wouldn't be able to choose between the girl who'd always respected him and the girl who hadn't even noticed him the entire time he was totally in love with her. Or at least, had had a huge crush on her.

Ryan had no idea which one it was, not having asked, and wasn't actually sure he wanted to know.

"Yeah," Seth said. "But like, what am I gonna do now? I don't think they even want to talk to me anymore."

"Did they say that?" Ryan asked.

"Well, no," said Seth, and lay back down. He covered his eyes with the back of his hand. "But you know they're thinking it. Seth Cohen, loser extraordinaire, can't even choose between two hot women. You know they're just laughing at me now. Girls do that, don't they?"

Ryan had to admit he had no idea, but it sounded like a very Summer thing to do. Anna, he was less sure of, but probably yes. Instead, he just said, "Probably."

"This sucks," Seth said. "This sucks, this sucks, this sucks--"

"I know, man," Ryan interrupted. "But you know, girls like that. They don't want guys like us anyway."

Seth twisted around to look at Ryan again. "Girls like that? What about Marissa?" Ryan raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "Okay," Seth said. "Right. I'll get over it. I just, you know. I should've done it differently, but I guess it wouldn't have worked anyway, right? 'Cause it's me, and that'd just be weird. If someone really liked me. You know?"

Ryan looked at Seth, and thought Seth didn't know the half of it. Weird, yeah, but at least Ryan didn't have to make any choices, because Seth would never become an option.


End file.
